Cadet Rider
by TheDoctorCT-21-0408
Summary: Alex Rider only wanted a break from MI-6. From a war between armies of droids and clones, to warriors of peace, he certainly gets a vacation.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello!**

**This is a re-write of an old Alex Rider/Clone Wars crossover. Unfortunately, I forgot the name of the old one already. I'd gone by TheDoctorCT-21-0408 then.**

**Maybe it was Cadet Rider?**

**For some plot basics: **

**In the Alex Rider verse, this takes place after Skeleton Key. **

**In the Clone Wars verse, this is _right _before the movie (think 'Hidden Enemy' as the starting point). **

**Diclaimers:**

**Alex Rider belongs to Anthony Horowitz. **

**The Clone Wars belongs to Disney. **

**The woman and her dog Sonny belong to me. **

* * *

Alex Rider woke up, not for the first time, from a nightmare.

For the past several weeks, it had been the same dream: Sarov pointing the gun at him. The eerie last words of "Goodbye, Alex." And the deafening gunshot that sent the teen into a cold sweat. Working for MI-6 had brought plenty of stress and nightmares. Mrs. Jones had fussed at Blunt several times for giving Alex "PTSD" from his missions. The emotionless man only steepled his fingers and told Alex and Mrs. Jones to run along.

Jack certainly wasn't pleased about his nightmares, either. She tried to arrange therapist appointments for her young charge, but Alex refused each time. "I'm fine," he'd say, and stare into his bowl of cereal.

He yawned, stretching his sore arm muscles. Whipping the blankets off his body, he stood, brushing off the shaky feelings, and staggered into the bathroom to get dressed. A red shirt, cargo pants, Converse, and a navy jacket. Just in case he wound up in trouble, Alex grabbed a pocketknife from his dresser.

Jack wasn't in the kitchen. Confused, Alex looked around the flat for his guardian, but the housekeeper was nowhere in sight. "Jack!" he called, stumbling into her bedroom. The bed was made, everything was in its usual place. "Jack?"

He went back into the kitchen, taking the phone from its hook. Perhaps Jack was with a friend...?

A yellow sticky note was attached to the fridge door. Alex took the note, and read the familiar scrawl:

_Alex,_

_Going to the supermarket to buy groceries. Be careful, and stay out of trouble. _

_See you soon!_

_Jack. _

Alex set the note on the counter, feeling remotely stupid. It must've been the nightmares affecting his thought process. He needed some fresh air.

* * *

After double-checking the door, reassuring himself that it was locked, Alex set off at a jog. Chelsea was a scenic route, with the continuous rows of homes, and the trees lining the quiet street.

He passed a woman walking her husky, the dog proudly strolling along the sidewalks with its tail high in the air. The woman nodded in greeting at Alex, and yanked on the neon leash to keep her dog in check. He pressed forward, finally coming to a stop at an iron bench underneath a large flowering tree. The teen settled down, to relax and take a breath.

_Maybe I'll run into Jack when she returns. _Alex busied himself with his people-watching, wondering how many of the ordinary citizens were MI-6 agents. Then his thoughts returned to the nightmares, with the repeating theme of Sarov. The crazy old man _always _made an appearance, sometimes in a reenactment on the submarine, sometimes back at his old mansion. There were some dreams where Alex would be running, succeeding in escape from his guards, but Sarov always greeted him at the end.

"Sonny!" A female voice screeched, breaking him from his trance. He looked up, catching sight of the woman from earlier and her dog. The husky was barking, pulling on the leash its owner desperately held on to. Alex looked past Sunny, and noticed a man. He was elderly, with white hair and a properly trimmed beard. He wore a brown cloak, that trailed to the ground and drug through the flower petals. "Sonny, you stop that _this instant!" _

Sonny persisted, howling at the man, and struggling even harder to break free from the leash. Alex jumped up, and ran to the scene. The man's cape had been snagged by the dog, who growled loudly as it tugged on the fabric. Alex took hold of the leash, assisting the woman in her tug-of-war against Sonny. The combined forces pulled Sonny away.

"Thank you." The woman panted, dragging the husky down the sidewalk. "Bad dog!"

"Are you alright?" said Alex, as the man wiped dog slobber from the edge of his cape.

"I'm doing better. Why don't you run along, young man?" he responded, in a deep tone. "It's a lovely afternoon."

"I will." Alex turned to leave, but a flash of silver changed his direction. He spun around, but the elderly man was already crossing the street.

* * *

Alex returned to the flat, finding it empty once more. Jack's purse wasn't on its hook. Her shoes weren't by the door. There were no further notes on the fridge. She'd been gone for three hours.

Was it possible that MI-6 had snagged her? Maybe they wanted Alex to stop by, and the way they thought it'd work is if they captured Jack.

Alex snorted. These were such ridiculous theories. What next, the elderly man showing up at his door?

_Ding dong!_

Alex blinked. That was...unexpected. He ran to the door, and slowly opened it.

Sure enough, the elderly man was on the doorstep.

"What are you doing here?" Alex demanded. His eyes widened at a metal cylinder in the man's hand.

"Alex Rider. Am I correct?" He inquired, in the same deep voice as before. It held a certain depth to it this time, of a sinister nature.

"Get out of my flat." Alex growled.

"Now, now, I'm afraid that won't do." He stepped in a way, his cape in a flourishing swirl around his feet. Alex backed away, into an attack stance. But he never had the chance. An invisible hand closed around his throat, cutting off his air. Alex gasped, coughing and scrabbling at his throat to remove the hands. Nothing was there. His vision grew darker and darker, as the man's face twisted into a smile. His mouth opened, in a final farewell of words. Alex promptly passed out.

* * *

Dooku smiled again as the boy collapsed to the floor. He'd been correct in coming here, to this little planet of Earth. With this boy he'd be able to discard Ventress for a younger and more reliable charge.

He stooped down, lifting the limp body into the air. His ship was parked behind this row of houses. Just a few hours of hyperspace travel, and allowing the boy to adapt to his new home, and the training would begin.

* * *

Jack entered the dark flat, shifting the grocery bags in her arms. "Stupid traffic," she muttered, kicking the door shut. "Stupid flat tires. Tow trucks. I hope Alex is okay."

She went to the kitchen, and set her armload of bags on the counter. The American couldn't believe how her simple morning trip had turned into a long journey of replacing the tire on her car. Chelsea had been quite busy that afternoon, and the housekeeper was unable to return home until seven in the evening.

_Alex would've gotten lunch. He could've called his friend Tom. He is okay._

Jack ran to Alex's room, knocking on the door. "Alex? Are you in there?" _  
_

No answer.

"Alex?"

Jack hurried throughout the flat, calling the boy's name. She looked for possible clues of Alex's stay at home, finding nothing. "Alex!"

She ran back to the kitchen, and grabbed the phone. With shaky hands, she dialed for the police.

* * *

**Dooku has Alex, Jack is in a panic, and Sonny never got Dooku's cape. **

**Next: Alex wakes up, Jack screams at Blunt, and we meet the Republic!**

**Reviews are appreciated, but no flames, please. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Many thanks for the reviews/favorites/follows!**

**And now, I present chapter two.**

* * *

Alex slowly opened his eyes.

He was in a metal room. Four walls, box-shaped, with a bright overhead light on the ceiling and a floor made of grates. They were gray, with small holes to allow air in and out of the room. A bright red light shone from below, casting eerie webbed shadows on the walls. The doorway...well, there wasn't exactly a door. A reddish-pink beam stretched across the doorway, seemingly unsafe to touch.

Alex jiggled his hands, and growled in frustration. His wrists were bound together with blue bands of neon light that vaguely resembled a glowstick. His ankles were free, which was fairly unusual for his experience with captors. They'd have him tied to a chair, or handcuffed, with supports to keep the teen from lashing or kicking out. This obviously wasn't an ordinary captor.

And then Alex remembered the elderly man, and the silver cylinder. The invisible hand that had clamped around his throat, claiming his consciousness. The husky barking at the same elderly man on the streets. Dogs would sense when something wasn't right, and go crazy as a result. That husky must've known something was off about the man.

Alex remembered the pocketknife in his pocket, and rolled over on his right side, hoping to feel the small weapon. The elderly man must've taken it, he figured, sitting back up as best as he could. His next plan of action: find a way out of the glowstick handcuffs.

Alex yanked his wrists apart, but they snapped back together, bound by the handcuffs. He tried again, getting the same annoying result each time. Soon, his wrists were covered with little red burn marks. Alex didn't notice, nor did he care. He pulled his knees to his body, and tried to slip the cuffs off with his feet. The Converse soon had brown scorch streaks on the white rubber.

The teen cursed under his breath, and was about to try it again when the shimmery pink wall disappeared. In walked a strange robot, with a series of box shapes forming its body. "The count would like to speak with you," it said in a monotone voice. The robot held out an appendage, with a metal disk. A blue holographic image appeared on the disk. It was the elderly man, with his cape. This time, Alex could see his regal-looking uniform, of a tunic and pants, with boots to complete the ensemble. On his belt hung the cylinder.

"What do you want?" Alex spat, proceeding in his plan to free his hands from the cuffs.

"I wanted to talk to you, young child."

The image flickered as he spoke, his voice distorted by the device. "About a proposition. However, I would like to know how you are enjoying the accommodations."

"It's lovely, thanks." Alex knew that sarcasm wouldn't help him at all, and in past experiences it only got him into a bigger pickle, but he was in a sour mood already. "I could live here the rest of my life."

The man folded his arms, a line of impatience stretching across his face. "That is good to hear."

"Can I go home, please?" said Alex. "My guardian is very worried about me, and I wouldn't want her to think I was dead."

"Oh, don't worry. We already took care of that." A sinister smile replaced the irritated expression. Alex felt sick to his stomach. What could this old man possibly do to Jack?

"I suggest you cooperate, or the stakes will be worse." As if he'd read his mind, the man offered another smile. Alex shuddered. "What do you want with me, then?"

"Simple." The man took a deep breath. "Not too long ago, a conflict arose in our galaxy. Worlds fought other worlds, in a battle to gain dominance and reign over the many systems our sentients call home. In the center of it all," he looked Alex in the eye for his next two words, "the Republic."

"Galaxy? Republic? Systems?" Alex was spouting with questions. "Where AM I?!"

"Settle down." The man held up his hands. "You are no longer on Earth. You are in a new galaxy, with a new life. My apprentice," he said, showing Alex the cylinder, "will learn to fight well."

"YOUR apprentice?" Alex was dumbfounded at the idea that he was in another galaxy. It'd take YEARS and YEARS of travel to leave the Milky Way!

"You see, there is my offer. Become my apprentice. I am running low on assassins, and my current one isn't as good as she used to be. It is a good offer. I wouldn't decline it if I were you."

"I can't," said Alex. "I've already promised myself I wouldn't get involved in this type of business anymore. I have to go home. Now."

"You haven't considered your housekeeper, have you?" He chuckled. "Jack, isn't that correct?"

"What did you do to her?" Alex struggled harder, but failed at freeing himself from the bonds. "I won't join you if you've hurt her!"

"I'll give you two hours, Rider. Two hours to decide." The hologram stood, letting his cape spin as he disappeared. Alex shouted after him, but it was too late.

"Think wisely," said the droid, as it left the cell. Alex sat back down with a huff, and began to curse everything he could think of.

* * *

As the battalion leaders conferred over plans, Anakin Skywalker let out another yawn. It was getting late, the sun had set, and the men were already filing into the mess hall for dinner. The young Jedi general had grown impatient of watching his old master trace another pathway through Crystal City streets. At his side, the older Jedi's commander watched the routes made by his hand, mentally taking note.

"We should probably start from this checkpoint," Obi-Wan Kenobi pointed at the lobby of an abandoned office building, "and wait there. Take some of the heavy equipment with us, and station it around the building..."

Anakin yawned again, and the clone commander's head whipped around to face him. Like his general, Cody was attentive, and deeply engrossed in the attack plans. He seemed a little aggravated at Anakin's lack of interest, as the Jedi was certain the commander was giving him the best 'pay attention' glare he could manage.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan inquired, pausing in his never-ending planning. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay, Master."

"Are you sure? You look a little tired to me." Obi-Wan gave him an amused chuckle. Anakin smirked. "Well, seeing as it is past dinner, and I haven't gotten a bite to eat yet..."

"Go ahead, Anakin." The bearded Jedi gestured to the doorway. "I could hear your stomach growing, Cody. Why don't you accompany him?"

"Yes, sir." The clone commander respectfully saluted his general, and caught up with Anakin.

"He wasn't kidding. I heard your stomach, too." said Anakin, attempting to start a conversation with his Master's commander. Cody wasn't much of a small talker around Anakin, but the Jedi figured he could get the commander to warm up.

"_Jack!_"

"Huh." Anakin chuckled, wondering what it was he'd just heard. It was a small, far off voice, screaming for a name he didn't know. The slightest nagging of the Force told him otherwise.

"Sir?" Cody stopped walking.

"Who is Jack?" Anakin muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"I don't know," said the commander.

"_Jack! Don't-_"

Anakin frowned. The voice had grown frantic, begging for this Jack to do something. The nagging at his Force senses increased, until-

A boy lay against a metal wall. His hands were bound. A bruise decorated the left side of his face. His eyes were closed, as he mouthed the words in a silent plea.

"_Jack...no..._"

It was in a bank, in the Separatist territory of Crystal City. Not too far, but Anakin couldn't go waltzing in there.

The boy needed his help.

And he was in the middle of the Separatist camp.

Anakin had done stealth missions before. He could sneak in and rescue the poor lad, and bring him back to the Republic barracks. From there, he'd probably be sent to Coruscant to find his family, or to the orphanage of Bespin. Either way, it was a better fate than being in Separatist hands.

"You go on without me, Cody." Anakin waved the commander off, turning away to form a plan. He'd need a speeder, and his lightsaber.

* * *

Jack sat in the hard plastic chair, digging her fingernails halfway into her skin. The officer scrawled away at a file, recording the desperate American's words. She would reach out for a tissue every few minutes, and dab at her face until it was unusable, and toss the object into the trash.

At his side stood Alan Blunt. Much to her surprise, he'd scurried over as quickly as he could, supervising the officer and Jack's tale.

"Is that all, Miss Starbright?" said the officer. Jack nodded.

"This seems unusual." Blunt laced his fingers together, calmly observing the scene. "We haven't been able to track down anyone who may have a grudge against the Rider boy. A possible theory is that an associate, of someone, could've taken him." Of course, he couldn't list the names in front of the police officer or Jack. Not without making them sign the Official Secrets Act (though Jack had already done so).

"Then start looking!" said Jack, gripping the armrests of the chair. "Surely you can start a search for Alex!"

"I'm afraid that isn't possible at the moment." Blunt stiffly replied.

"Isn't possible?! Do you have any idea how this feels?!" Jack screeched, jumping out of the chair. "Do you know how it feels to have a loved one taken away? Do you?"

"Settle down, Miss Starbright." the officer said, scribbling away at the files while tapping on the computer.

"Obviously not. You aren't a caring man." Jack pointed an accusing finger at Blunt. "I'll bet YOU took Alex, and sent him off on another mission!"

"Settle down." Blunt repeated the words of the police officer. "We would've told you if Alex was on a mission."

"You're nothing but a bunch of liars, anyway." Jack sank into her chair, covering her face with her hands. She sat there for several hours longer, quietly sobbing whilst Blunt made a few calls.

* * *

**Next: Anakin starts the rescue mission. **


End file.
